


prosaic, unromantic, sensible

by HannahPelham



Series: University of Norland [1]
Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen
Genre: 1k of complete bollocks, F/M, University AU, not meant to be good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-24 05:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21094124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannahPelham/pseuds/HannahPelham
Summary: Charlotte Heywood and Sidney Parker have a DMC at a University of Norland social, and things happen. Modern Uni AU.





	prosaic, unromantic, sensible

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theinvisibledisaster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theinvisibledisaster/gifts).

“I’m not particularly romantic, Charlotte, surely you’ve noticed that” Sidney Parker said, handing Charlotte Heywood another chocolate digestive. The University of Norland cricket team was having a movie night, and whilst Sidney and Charlotte weren’t the best of friends, they’d fallen into a conversation about love. Mainly because Charlotte’s ex-boyfriend James Stringer was sat on the other side of the room. 

“You don’t have to be romantic, Sidney, just a bit more open perhaps. I, for example, know almost nothing about you and I’ve known you nearly a year” Charlotte said, raising an eyebrow.

“Most of what I know about you, Charlotte, is from other people and is mostly about you and Stringer”

“Yes, well,” Charlotte replied, rolling her eyes, “when James and I were dating, it became my whole personality. Everything was me and James, nothing was about me”

“Not a great sign” Sidney said, glancing over at Stringer, who had his arm around some buxom blonde.

“No, but that’s not the point. The point is, Parker, nobody knows a thing about you”

“Ok then,” Sidney said, turning slightly so he was facing Charlotte properly, “I have an older brother called Tom, a younger brother called Arthur, and a younger sister called Diana”. Charlotte smiled and shuffled a bit closer to him, so they could whisper rather than talk, which seemed to be pissing people off. She was grateful for the chance to get a bit closer to him. She’d seen him around at parties and stuff all year, and if what her flatmates were saying was right, she was fairly sure she was in love with him. She hated that. It’s such a cliche, she thought, to fall in love with the tall, dark, handsome, mysterious guy at a party, but it seemed she’d done it. 

After a bit more shushing from the other society members, Charlotte and Sidney stopped talking. They were sitting so close that their legs were touching, and Sidney’s arm was draped lazily around the back of the sofa. Charlotte’s heart was beating out a tattoo in her chest. She thought Sidney could probably hear it. When the film ended, she wondered what Sidney was going to do. She knew some of the society were going out to the local nightclub, what she’d have done when she and James were together, but she knew that wasn’t quite Sidney’s style. Before she could decide what to do, she felt herself being dragged from the sofa. Sidney pulled her against the wall, surveying the scene in the room. 

“Pub?” He asked. He was nervous, he was asking the girl he’d been in love with for months on a date, for god’s sake. He thought he should ‘man up’ (though he hated the phrase), he was 22 and fit and healthy and had no reason to think she’d flat out turn him down. 

“Pub” She replied, smiling widely. Her breath hitched in her throat as Sidney grabbed her hand and led her from the room and out of the Sanditon College complex. They walked down the road in the opposite direction to everybody else, still holding hands. It felt so natural, so normal. Charlotte didn’t want it to end. 

They ducked into a pub just down the road. When Sidney let go of Charlotte’s hand to order at the bar, they both noticed the lack of contact. They found a quiet table at the back, and each sipped their drink (his a pint and hers a double Bombay Sapphire and Lemonade) nervously. 

This felt like a first date. 

They both secretly hoped they would one day consider it their first date. 

They chatted about this and that, nothing particularly important. Charlotte bought the second round, Sidney the third, and Charlotte the last before they decided they should probably head back to their respective colleges. Sidney was determined to do the gentlemanly thing and walk her home to Kellynch College. 

They reached the gate, and Sidney quickly grabbed Charlotte’s hand before she could knock on the door for the night porter to let her in. She turned and faced him, and Sidney knew this was his moment. He stepped closer to her, silently asking for permission. Charlotte smiled, and made a noise of happy contentment as Sidney pressed his lips to hers. Any anxiety either of them might have been feeling dissipated quickly as Charlotte’s arms made their way around Sidney’s neck. They broke apart, and Charlotte knocked on the door, and dragged Sidney through it and to her room the second it was opened. 

Charlotte carefully slipped from Sidney’s embrace the next morning, and quietly made her way to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. When she opened the door, she found Jane and Elizabeth Bennet, her flatmate-older sister figures sat at the table. They handed her two cups of tea and raised their eyebrows. Charlotte instantly knew they’d heard her and Sidney the night before. 

“I think all of Norland heard you two, Charlotte” Elizabeth commented as Charlotte made her way back to her room. 

When she walked into her room, she was pleased to find Sidney still fast asleep. She placed a cup of tea down on his side of the bed, and got back in next to him, sipping hers. After a few minutes, he began to stir. Charlotte leant down and gently pressed a kiss to his lips, and smiled when she felt him smile in response. He opened his eyes and sat up, taking a huge mouthful of tea. Charlotte held her breath slightly, as Sidney began to speak. 

“I’m not particularly romantic, Charlotte, surely you’ve noticed that,” he started, “but last night was...everything, and, um...well I suppose-”

“I love you too Sidney” Charlotte interrupted. Sidney put his cup of tea down and kissed her passionately, knocking her back into the pillows of her bed. 

“I bloody love you, Charlotte Heywood” He whispered between kisses. 

On the other side of the door, Jane and Elizabeth Bennet squealed with excitement as they eavesdropped on their flatmate. They ran away in horror, of course, the minute they heard any moans or groans. 


End file.
